Mobile communications are pervasive in modern society. In various mobile communication systems, mobile stations are utilized through which to communicate. Mobile stations typically are radio transceivers, oftentimes of dimensions and weights permitting their easy carriage by users. A cellular communication system is an exemplary type of mobile communication system in which mobile stations are used. Cellular communication systems of various types and constructions are widely deployed and widely utilized through which to communicate. A user, sometimes referred to as a subscriber, generally carries a portable, mobile station and communicates with, and through, a cellular communication system through use of the mobile station.
Mobile stations were initially used primarily pursuant to voice communications. Increasingly, however, mobile stations are used pursuant to text-messaging services, and other data-based services. Mobile stations, and the cellular communications systems in which the mobile stations are operable, are regularly now operable to provide store-and-forward, push-message, and other message-related services. Messaging services communicate data in manners that, typically, do not require a recipient immediately to be available to review and to reply to a communicated message. Rather, the user is able to review the message at a subsequent time and to take further action, such as the generation of a reply message, if appropriate, when convenient.
Dual advantages are provided in a mobile communication system that provides for messaging services. That is to say, both communication mobility and communication flexibility are provided when messaging services are utilized by a user of a mobile station that is message-service capable.
Some mobile station users make regular use of messaging services. Numerous messages, for instance, might be delivered to the mobile station over a period of time, such as the user's workday. The messages, once delivered to a mobile station are buffered thereat, available for viewing by the user at the convenience of the user. At least one message-capable mobile station provides a message data application that generates a message listing forming a list of messages received at the mobile station. Each individual entry on the message list, for instance, identifies the time at which the message is received, the identity of the sender of the message, and, if available, and a subject line populated with a subject entered by the sender of the message. The user at the mobile station uses the message listing and elects whether to view the associated message, associated with the entry on the message listing.
Some mobile stations provide for the generation of an alert when a message is received at the mobile station. Audible alerts, for instance, are sometimes generated at the mobile station to alert the user of receipt of a message. In some situations, however, the user is likely not to want to have the message audibly alerted. Generation of an audible alert, of any volume, might, in some situations, be inappropriately loud. Or, the user might not want to be distracted by the generation of an intrusive, audible alert. And, in any event, an audible alert is generally only temporal, that is, is typically only generated for a brief period. If the user elects not immediately to take further action with respect to the received message, the user might well quickly forget that the message has been received and alerted.
Visual alert of a received message is also, or alternately, provided at a mobile station. A visual alert is generally less intrusive and is more easily made to be less temporal, that is to say, more easily made to be long-lasting. In one conventional alert mechanism, a light emitting diode is caused to light, sometimes with an on-off, blinking alert, to alert a user of a received message. The light emitting diode alert, however, is not part of the screen display to which a user generally directs attention when viewing the mobile station. In another existing arrangement, for instance, an icon is caused to be displayed on the mobile-station, display screen when a new message is received. The icon continues to be displayed until the user takes further action with respect to a message data application. For example, the icon is continued to be displayed until the user utilizes the message data application, such as to view a message listing generated during its operation.
Mere display of a static icon, however, might sometimes be overlooked by the user of the mobile station. The display screen of a mobile station is generally of small dimension, and the icon identifying the reception of the new message is displayed on only a small portion on of the screen display.
If an improved manner could be provided by which to visually alert a user of the reception of the message, improved user experience would be provided. The improved visual alert would be particularly beneficial if it were displayable as part of a screen display that is displayed in a power-saving manner, e.g., a screen display displayed only when the user views the screen display.
It is in light of this background information related to message-capable mobile stations that the significant improvements of the present invention have evolved.